Drum beating mechanism



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 3, 1949 Jan. 30, 1951 w. F. LUDWlG DRUM BEATING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 5, 1949 wv H MI Jan. 30, 1951 w, LUDWlG 2,540,051

DRUM BEATING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Q Q N Filed Sept. 5, 1949 arvzeg.

Jan. 30, 1951 w. F. LUDWIG DRUM BEATING MESHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 3, 1949 Patented Jan. 30, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRUM BEATING MECHANISM William F. Ludwig, Chicago, Ill.

Application September 3, 1949, Serial No. 113,985

4 Claims.

When bass drums are disposed indoors, as in orchestras, they are disposed either horizontally or vertically. Those adapted to be disposed horizontally are equipped with vertically adjustable supporting legs, of course, so that they may be disposed at any desired elevation above the floor.

In instances wherein a foot pedal actuated drum beating mechanism is used, the latter rests upon the floor and is secured firmly to at least two of the legs of the drum to maintain the beater mechanism in given fixed relation to the drum. The drum beater of any conventional type is so operatively associated with the foot pedal of the mechanism that when said pedal is depressed, the beater will be swung upwardly through a vertical plane.

When the drum is disposed with its axes disposed horizontally, the foot pedal actuating mechanism for the beater must also be maintained in a fixed position relative to the drum.

As far as I am informed, foot pedal actuated drum beating mechanisms, designed and operative, respectively, to be attached to none but a horizontally disposed bass drum, and another adapted to be associated with a vertically disposed bass drum, are presently on the market.

Hence the main object of the present invention is to provide such a beating mechanism which is readily and easily adjusted to beat either a horizontally or vertically disposed bass drum and which is simple, efficient and can be produced at such low cost as to be salable at a price substan tially no greater than either type of the afore-. said presently purchasable types of beaters.

mechanism of my invention is clearly described in the following specification and "illustrated in detail in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a mechanism embodying my invention in a preferred form, in working position with respect to a horizontally disposed drum (shown in dotted lines), the drum beater being shown in its idle position in full lines and in contact with the inverted drum head in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, wherein the drum is similarly shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the mechanism wherein the beater is shown in full lines as disposed in the dotted line position of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a central, vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 with some parts shown in side elevation. I

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the structure with, the

beater and parts connected therewith shown-in the position of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a plan sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary side elevation partly in section of the member which connects the beater mechanism with two legs of the drum shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

In the drawings I have illustrated only a single preferred embodiment of my invention, and, for the sake of brevity, only the details illustrated will be described, as it will be evident that such details may take a variety of forms without de-' parting from the invention.

Referring first to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be noted that the structure comprises a base member I which includes a pair of projections 2 and 3 bordering a middle recess and which are of less heigth than the portion I.

The portion I of the base is equipped with a pair of spaced apart parallel posts 4, equipped at their upper ends with bearings 5 for a shaft 8.

A rocking member 6, which is equipped with a walking-beam type of member M. The latter is provided with a socket l8 to receive the stem 20 of a drum beater 2|, which may be disposed, as shown in Fig. 1, or in the position of Figs. 3 and 4, and held engaged in the socket by means of a set screw 22.

The member 6 is equipped with end flanges 1 to which the upper ends of tension springs 9 are secured, the latter being connected at their lower ends with tension adjusting II], II and I2 of conventional type connected with the posts 4.

The base 1 includes an extension member.- 34 detachably connected therewith and to the outer end portion of which a pivot support 25 for the heel end portion of a foot pedal 24 is suitably secured, said support being equipped with a cushion base 33.

The member I4 is detachably connectible at either end by means of a link 29 with the forward end of the foot pedal 24.

As shown best in Fig. 4, the base I is equipped with a bearing projection 39 for a shaft 40 with which a sheet metal rocking lever 4| is engaged between its ends, the latter being equipped in its inner end portion with a cross-bar having a threaded opening midway between its ends for threaded association with the shank 42 of a fly screw 44. a

The lower extremity of the shank of said screw bears upon the base l a's'shown, and when rotated clockwise, causes thele'ft-hand end of said lever to move downwardly toward the recess between the projections 2 and 3 of the base I.

This structure constitutes a clamp to engage the rim hoop of a vertically disposed drum head, with the flanges or projections 2 and 3 of the base I, or to secure the bar structure next described to the base I.

Figs. 1, 5 and 7 illustrate a device which is clamped upon the projections 2 and 3 of the base and secured at its outerends to two of the legs of a drum which is horizontally disposed.

Said device comprises a middle channeled portion 45, the side flanges of which terminate in outwardly projecting flanges 46, the outer end portions 41 of which are twisted to extend perpendicularly to the middle portion 45.

The latter is equipped midway between its ends with a yielding support 48 of greater height than the projections 2 and 3 of the base and is adapted to be disposed betweenv said projections. As best shown inLFig. 5, the outer end. portions of the arms 47 are equipped with longitudinally adjustable clamping devices 49, to engage two of the supporting legs of a drum, as shown in Fig.1.

When the drum is disposed, as in. Fig. 2,, the structure of Fig. 7 is omitted and the clamping lever 4i and projections 2 and 3 engage only a rim or head. tensioning, hoop of the drum.

While I. have illustrated. and described only a single preferred. formv of my invention, I'do not desire tobe limited to the exact details illustrated and described, but intendto cover all forms and arrangements that come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims- As the specification and drawings are'addressed only to persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates, the specification, as amended, is short and refers mainly to reference characters found on thedrawings which indicate the essential elements of the structure, the parts or elements indicated by reference characters not found in the specification, being believed to be of such conventional types and of obvious purposes or functions as to need no description.

I' claim:

1'; A drum beating mechanism comprising a base member and a pair of spaced apart-vertical posts, a rocking member pivotally connected with the upper end portions of said posts and equipped with a transversely disposed formation projecting forwardly and'rearwardly thereof, a socket having-an axis parallel with said formationand open at both ends for reception of the stem of adrum heating device in either end; portion thereof, a setscrew: toengagea stem portion projecting into Number said socket, a foot pedal pivotally connected at one end with said base member and projecting at its other end portion between said posts, and a link connected pivotally at one end with said last-named end portion of said pedal and detachably connectible with either end portion of said formation of said rocking member.

2. A drum bearing mechanism according to claim 1 which includes a manually operable clamping means mounted. upon thebase member between said posts for securing a rim hoop of a drum to said base member.

3. A drum beating mechanism comprising a base member and a pair of spaced apart vertical posts, a rocking member pivotally connected with the upper end portions of said posts and equipped with a transversely disposed formation projecting forwardly and rearwardly thereof, a socket having an axis parallel with said formation and open at both ends for reception of the stem of a drum beating'device ineither end portionthereof, a set'screwto engage a stem portion projectinginto said socket, a foot pedal pivotally con.- nected, at one end with said base member and projecting at its other end portion between said posts, and a link connected pivotally at one end with said last-named end portion of said pedal and detachably connectible with. either end portion of. said formation-of said rocking memberand a manually operable clamping means on said base member for securing the-latter to a partof a drum to maintain a head of the latter in position to be beaten as said rock shaft, is actuated by said pedal.

4.. A drum beating mechanism including a. support, for a heater and its operating means, having at its front end a nose on which the periphery of the usual cylindrical flange-like part at the head end of a bass drum may rest when the drum head. is vertical, a bar mountable upon said" nose REFERENCES CITED The. following references are of record in. the file. of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 2,446,508 Crowell Aug. 3, 1948 

